The Beefsteak Raid

September 14th-16th, 1864

Because
they were operating within Rebel areas, and because they
did not have a complete investment of the Petersburg
lines, the Union rear areas were vulnerable to attack.
This forced Grant to use a lot of troops and effort to
protect his rear, and, on at least one occasion, not
enough protection was had.

Confederate cavalry scouts
were camped along the Blackwater River downstream of the
Federal supply base at City Point, and on September 3rd
they told Wade Hampton, Lee's cavalry chief after the
death of J.E.B. Stuart, that there was a herd of nearly
3,000 Yankee beef cattle at Coggins Point, about five
miles down the James River from City Point. The herd was
poorly guarded by about 250 men of the 1st D.C. Cavalry,
together with a detachment of about 150 men from the 13th
Pennsylvania. This entire Federal rear was picketed by
the single understrength cavalry division of Brig. Gen.
August Kautz.

On September 14th, Hampton led a force of 4,500 men,
mostly from Rooney Lee's division but augmented by the
brigades of Rosser and Dearing, to capture this herd. The
day was chosen in part because Grant was known to be in
the Shenandoah Valley in conference with Sheridan.
Hampton was able to penetrate the Federal rear by a
roundabout route, passing through Dinwiddie Court House
and Stony Creek Station, crossing the Blackwater River at
the site of a destroyed bridge which was rebuilt on the
night of the 15th. At dawn on the16th, Lee's division was
used to screen off the Rebel left, as that was the flank
closest to the Union lines around Petersburg, while
Rosser and Dearing were to attack the camp, capture the
herd, and start the cattle on their way back to Southern
lines (using a large number of shepherd dogs brought
along to help with the herding). The attack was
completely successful, although the Federal force held on
as long as their small numbers would allow before
retreating. An attempt to scatter the herd was thwarted
by the fact that the Rebels attacked from all sides, thus
hemming in the cattle.

Capturing the beef was only the first step; now they
had to get back to the Confederate lines with them. By
8:00 a.m., less than three hours after the camp was
attacked, Hampton had his force back on the road. Rosser
was sent ahead to secure the Jerusalem Plank Road and
prevent any Federal force from descending along that
avenue. Dearing was sent after Rosser to support him.
Lee's division brought up the rear. By 10:00 a.m. they
were back at Cook's Bridge on the Blackwater.

Federal reaction was limited, mostly because the bulk
of the cavalry was with Sheridan in the Shenandoah
Valley. The Second Cavalry division, under Brig. Gen.
Henry Davies, and the Army of the James cavalry, under
Kautz, were hastily sent out after the Rebels, but they
were only able to muster some 2,800 men. At about 2:00
p.m. Davies came up against Rosser's force along the
Jerusalem Plank Road. He was able to drive Rosser back
about three miles before he came upon a prepared position
at Belches Mill, held in force (Rosser had now been
reinforced by Dearing). Without Kautz's support, Davies
did not feel strong enough to engage the Confederates and
so simply skirmished with them until about 8:00 p.m.
Meanwhile Hampton was getting the cattle across the
Jerusalem Plank Road and the Nottoway River, moving about
two miles or so south of Rosser's position.

Davies eventually decided to move by his right flank
to try and bypass Rosser's position and intercept the
retreating column, but Hampton anticipated this and
during the night moved to Wilkinson's Bridge on Rowanty
Creek, where he could block any Federal advance. After
driving in some of Hampton's pickets early on the morning
of the 17th, Davies learned that the cattle had been
taken across the Nottoway the previous day and were
therefore "beyond my reach with the force at my
disposal" (as he put it in his report). Davies
therefore broke off the pursuit.

Kautz had followed the line of Hampton's retirement
but had never felt strong enough to vigorously engage the
Confederate rear-guard, and so had accomplished little
except to scoop up some 18 head of cattle that had
straggled from the captured herd. In Kautz's defense, he
only had about 700 men and Hampton's rear guard was all
of Rooney Lee's division.

It was one of the most brilliant cavalry raids of the
war. At a cost of about 60 men, Hampton had secured
nearly 2,500 cattle for Lee's hungry troops. Soon
thereafter a reporter asked Grant when he would take
Petersburg. "Never," said the Union commander,
"if our armies continue to supply him with beef
cattle."